I recently found myself in a very unique and thought provoking position - a good friend of mine called to ask if I would be the "ordering physician" for the flu vaccine to be given at a work site where she was doing health screenings.
My first thoughts (and I believe the first words out of my mouth to her) was "ARE YOU F'ING NUTS????? YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT!!!!!!!"
Fortunately, we are very good friends, and that didn't phase her and she continued to explain the situation a bit more to me. Strings of expletives zipped through my consciousness the entire time, but the small (some might say very small) rational part of my brain did listen to what she was telling me.
Said rational part of my brain was able to soothe my silent temper tantrum, and I began to think, maybe, just maybe, this could be a grand opportunity to further my research as well as public education of the misconceptions regarding influenza vaccination.
The answer I came up with?
Provide REAL information and safety guidelines for this "flu shot clinic", like those I've been yammering about for the past several years:
- I rewrote the Screening Questionnaire that is typically handed out to patients and identify those who should NOT get the vaccine, especially in a non medical setting.
- I wrote my own VIS (Vaccine Information Statement) to highlight all of the lies by omission contained in the CDC version, to be reviewed with each individual patient. This is available in it's entirety in my previous post.
- I outlined the proper steps in documenting the vaccination and providing ready means for patients to report adverse reactions.
It's actually the same thing I do at my clinic. Someone asked me the other day what do I do when a patient just insists on getting the flu shot. I simply provide them with the complete story, outline risks and benefits, and if they still want it, they get it...I have done MY job to counsel as best I can, what they do with the information is their own choice. I would rather the vaccine be given at my clinic where proper counsel and medical care can be given than at the local pharmacy, where it is offered up along with the candy bar of the day, with no thought given to the medical risks of either!
Hopefully this will break some cracks into the carefully crafted dogma the CDC has created and shed light on the fact the influenza vaccine is not a panacea, but something creating it's own epidemic of illness. Perhaps it can also become a tool to track information regarding days lost at work due to illness in the vaccinated and non vaccinated population.
Perhaps today just ONE person will opt against receiving the flu vaccine, that would have ended up getting it anyway at their local Walgreen's or clinic, because of the information I provided. And perhaps that one person will share the information with their family or friends.
If that is the case, then I think, this might be the start of good...of course, I'm still mulling over whether or not I "did the right thing"....
My first thoughts (and I believe the first words out of my mouth to her) was "ARE YOU F'ING NUTS????? YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT!!!!!!!"
Fortunately, we are very good friends, and that didn't phase her and she continued to explain the situation a bit more to me. Strings of expletives zipped through my consciousness the entire time, but the small (some might say very small) rational part of my brain did listen to what she was telling me.
Said rational part of my brain was able to soothe my silent temper tantrum, and I began to think, maybe, just maybe, this could be a grand opportunity to further my research as well as public education of the misconceptions regarding influenza vaccination.
So my next task was to figure out how to help out my friend and not be a complete hypocritical, sell out to my beliefs. And some of you out there may think I did sell out a bit by participating, but that's OK, because I'm still trying to convince myself I haven't, too.
The answer I came up with?
Provide REAL information and safety guidelines for this "flu shot clinic", like those I've been yammering about for the past several years:
- I rewrote the Screening Questionnaire that is typically handed out to patients and identify those who should NOT get the vaccine, especially in a non medical setting.
- I wrote my own VIS (Vaccine Information Statement) to highlight all of the lies by omission contained in the CDC version, to be reviewed with each individual patient. This is available in it's entirety in my previous post.
- I outlined the proper steps in documenting the vaccination and providing ready means for patients to report adverse reactions.
It's actually the same thing I do at my clinic. Someone asked me the other day what do I do when a patient just insists on getting the flu shot. I simply provide them with the complete story, outline risks and benefits, and if they still want it, they get it...I have done MY job to counsel as best I can, what they do with the information is their own choice. I would rather the vaccine be given at my clinic where proper counsel and medical care can be given than at the local pharmacy, where it is offered up along with the candy bar of the day, with no thought given to the medical risks of either!
Hopefully this will break some cracks into the carefully crafted dogma the CDC has created and shed light on the fact the influenza vaccine is not a panacea, but something creating it's own epidemic of illness. Perhaps it can also become a tool to track information regarding days lost at work due to illness in the vaccinated and non vaccinated population.
Perhaps today just ONE person will opt against receiving the flu vaccine, that would have ended up getting it anyway at their local Walgreen's or clinic, because of the information I provided. And perhaps that one person will share the information with their family or friends.
If that is the case, then I think, this might be the start of good...of course, I'm still mulling over whether or not I "did the right thing"....
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